山東財(cái)經(jīng)大學(xué)《英美文化概況》課程重點(diǎn)考試內(nèi)容

英美文化概況

Grammerschool:ItisatypeofsecondaryschoolsinBritain.

Theseschoolslayemphasisonadvancedacademicsubjectsratherthanthemoregeneralcurriculumofthecomprehensiveschoolsandexpectmanyoftheirpupilstogoontouniversities.

Comprehensiveschool:Suchschoolsadmitchildrenwithoutreferencetotheiracademicabilitiesandprovideageneraleducation.Pupilscanstudyeverythingfromacademicsubjectslikeliteraturetomorepracticalsubjectslikecooking.

TheContainmentpolicy：BycontainmenttheUSmeantthatitwouldusewhatevermeans,includingmilitaryforce,topreventtheSUfrombreakingoutofitssphereofinfluence,soastopushbackSovietspheresuntilSovietpoliticalsystemchangedorcollapsed.

boardsofeducation：policymakersforschools

TheAnglo-Saxons：theAnglo-SaxoninvadersweretheforefathersoftheEnglish,thefoundersofAnglo-landorEnglandasithasbecomeknown.

theCommonwealth：nolongeranimperialcountrywithindependenceofmanyformercoloniessuchasAustralia,Canada,IndiawhichmaintainlinkswithBritainnowthroughanorganizationcalledtheCommonwealthofNations

ThemainfunctionsofParliament：(1)topasslaws;(2)toprovide,byvotingfortaxation,themeansofcarryingontheworkofgovernment;(3)toexaminegovernmentPolicyandadministrations,includingproposalforexpenditure;and(4)todebatethemajorissuesoftheday.

Puritanism：

1．TheybelievedthathumanbeingswerepredestinedbyGodbeforetheywereborn..

2.SomewereGod’schosenpeoplewhileothersweredamnedtohell.Nochurchnorgoodworkscouldsavepeople.ThesignofbeingGod’selectwasthesuccessinhisworkortheprosperityinhiscalling.

3.TheyalsoarguedthateveryonemustreadtheBibleinordertofindGod’swillandestablishadirectcontactwithGod.

TheDeclarationofIndependence：ItwasmainlydraftedbyThomasJeffersonandwasadoptedbytheCongressonJuly4,1776Thedocumentdeclaredthatallmenwereequalandthattheywereentitledtohavesomeunalienablerightssuchaslife,libertyandthepursuitofhappiness.

Italsoexplainedthephilosophyofgovernments:thepowersofgovernmentscamefromtheconsentofthegovernedandthepurposeofgovernmentswastosecuretherightsmentionedabove.

theBillofRights：Itwasadoptedin1791andconsistsof10veryshortparagraphswhichguaranteefreedomandindividualrightsandforbidinterferencewithlivesofindividualsbythegovernment.EachparagraphisanAmendmenttotheoriginalConstitution.

TheHouseofLords：ItconsistsofLordsSpiritual，LordsTemporal，Hereditarypeers.lifepeers

TheHouseofCommons：Itconsistsof651MembersofParliament(MPS)electedbythepeopletorepresentthem.

TheServicemen’sReadjustmentAct:Congresspasseditin1944。TheActpromisedfinancialaid,includingaidforhighereducationtomembersofthearmedforcesaftertheendofWorldWarII.

AffirmativeActionPrograms：Bytheendof1960s,somecollegesintroducedspecialplansandprogramstoequalizeeducationalopportunities—ateverylevel,forallgroups.Someoftheseplanswerecalled"Affirmativeactionprograms."

independentschools：fundedbyprivatesectors,throughtuitionratesandsomegovernmentassistance.Independentschoolsarenotpartofthenationaleducationsystem.

ComparetheeducationsysteminBritishandUSA

1.Thepurpose

ThepurposeoftheBritisheducationsystemnotonlytoprovidechildrenwithliteracyandtheotherbasicskillstheywillneedtobecomeactivemembersofsocietybutalsotosocializechildren.

Childrenaretaughtpracticalskills;buttheyalsolearntherulesandvaluestheyneedtobecomegoodcitizen,toparticipateinthecommunity,andtocontributetotheeconomicprosperityofanadvancedindustrialeconomy

ThepurposeoftheUSAeducationistoachieveuniversalliteracyandprovideindividualswithknowledgeandskillnecessarytopromotethewelfareforindividualsandthegeneralpublic.

2.TheNationalCurriculum

BritishmadethireNationalCurriculum,USAdidnotdoit

3.FreedomofchoiceisanotherAmericanvaluenotabsentfromschoollife.Inadditiontotheirrequiredcourses,highschoolandcollegestudentsmaychooseelectivecourses.Theseelectivesallowstudentstostudysubjectsthatinterestthem.

（4）comparetheroleofthebritishqueenandtheuspresident

Thebritishqueen:primarilytosymbolizethetraditionandunityoftheBritishstate.TheQueenislegallyheadoftheexecutive,anintegralpartofthelegislature,headofthejudiciary,commanderinchiefofthearmedforcesand“supremegovernor”oftheChurchofEngland.

AlesswellknownroleoftheQueen,whichisneverthelessveryimportanttoBritishpolitics,isthatofaconfidantetothePrimeMinister.Herlongexperienceandherpoliticallyneutralitymakeheragoodsourceofinformedobservationonthedaytodayproblemsofgovernance.

Theuspresident:ThePresidentisboththeheadofstateandtheheadofgovernment,aswellasthemilitarycommander-in-chiefofthearmedforcesandchiefdiplomat.

4.Thethreebranchesofusgovernment

Thelegislativebranchismadeupofelectedrepresentativesfromallofthestatesandistheonlybranchthatcanmakefederallaws,levyfederaltaxesanddeclarewarorputforeigntreatiesintoeffect.

Theexecutivebranch:ThechiefexecutiveoftheUnitedStatesisthepresidentThepresident,oftenproposeslegislationtoCongress.ThepresidentcanalsovetoanybillpassedbyCongress.

Thejudicialbranch:theFederalcourtshavejurisdictionovercasesarisingoutoftheConstitutionandothercaseswhichdonotariseoutofindividualstates.TheSupremeCourthasthejudicialreviewpower,thepowerdeterminingwhethercongressionallegislationorexecutiveactionviolatestheConstitution

5.britishhistoryisahistoryofinvasion

(1).EarlySettlement(…--43,AD)

Beforethe1stcenturyAD,itwasmadeupoftribalkingdomsofCelticpeople/theCelt

(2).TheRomanOccupation

In43AD,itwasinvadedbytheRomanEmpire,andEnglandandWales

(3).Anglo-SaxonTimes(410-871)

AfterRomanwithdrewfromBritain,BritainwasdividedintosmallkingdomsandwasunderthreatfromtheAnglosandtheSaxon

(4)TheInvasionofVikingsandtheDanishRule

Inthelate8thcentury,theVikingsthreatenedBritain’sshores.NorthernandeasternEnglandwereundertheircontrol.

(5)TheNormanConquest

In1066,theNormans,crossedtheEnglishChannel,andintheBattleofHastings,defeatedanEnglisharmyunderKingHarold.WilliamtooktheEnglishthroneandbecameWilliamtheFirstofEngland.

5.influenceofpuritanism

PuritanshaveleftrichculturalheritagetofutureAmericans.TheAmericanvaluessuchasindividualism,hardwork,respectofeducationoweverymuchtothePuritanbeliefs.

6.usandbritishspecialrelationship

DuringWorldWarII,thetwocountrieswerecloselyalliedandcontinuedtoworktogethercloselyinthepostwaryears,becausetheyhadmanythingsincommonaboutthepastandtheworldsituation.

Eventoday,BritishandAmericanpolicy-makerssharethegeneralideasinmanyrespects.HoweverTheBritisharebeginningtorealizethattheirownforeignpolicyactionscanbelimitedbytheUnitedStates.Butbothsideshaveworkedhardtomaintainthe“specialrelations”.

AsapartofitsNATOcommitments,theBritishhostalargeAmericanmilitarypresence.Thereare63AmericanmilitarybasesinBritain.

7．Americanforeignpolicyduringthesecondperiod(EngagementandExpansion)TheClintonAdministrationmadenationalsecurity,economicprosperityandpromotionofdemocracythethreepillarsoftheAmericanforeignpolicy.

Itsnationalstrategywasengagementandexpansion,whichmeanstheUSwilltakeamoreactivepartinworldaffairsandwillmoreactivelypromotemarketeconomyandAmericanstyledemocracyintheworld.

The44-dayheavybombingoftheformerYugoslaviain1999wasatestcaseofthenewstrategy.

8.thefoundationsandmakingofbritishforeignpolicy

ThecontemporaryforeignpolicyoftheUKisgreatlyinfluencedbyitsimperialnhistoryandalsobyitsgeopoliticaltraits.

AnotherdecisiveinfluenceuponthewayBritainhandlesitsexternalaffairsisgeopolitical.Itsislandlocationcreatedasenseofpsychologicalisolationinitsinhabitant.

ThegeneraldirectionofBritain’sforeignpolicyismainlydecidedbythePrimeMinisterandtheCabinet.manyothergovernmentministriesalsoplaysapartinformulatingandcarryingoutthegovernment’sdecisions.TheTreasuryalsoplayaimportantroleinmakingthepolicy

TheTreas